Sam Elliott helped draw millions of viewers to the Yellowstone prequel on Paramount Network and Paramount+.
If Taylor Sheridan builds it, they will come.
And sure enough: 1883, the heavily hyped and eagerly awaited prequel to Sheridan’s ginormous hit Yellowstone, drew millions of viewers when it debuted Sunday on Paramount+ and Paramount Network.
On Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, the Sunday premiere broke a new record for the service as its most watched original series ever — up more than double over the previous record. Better still, the series, produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, was the hottest TV drama topic Sunday night across social media, according to data from Talkwalker Social Content Ratings.
But wait, there’s more: The premiere also grabbed 4.9 million total viewers during its special cablecast on Paramount Network following the 8 pm ET airing of Yellowstone, making it the biggest new series premiere on cable since 2015. Indeed, 1883 actually outperformed the 2018 Paramount Network premiere of Yellowstone itself in two key demographics, P18-49 (1.49 vs. 0.66) and P25-54 (2.39 vs. 1.02). Counting premieres, the simulcast on Paramount+, and encores, Taylor’s latest hit attracted 6.4 million viewers across the night.
“The results of 1883’s debut are truly phenomenal,” said Tanya Giles, Chief Programming Officer of ViacomCBS Streaming. “The Day 1 streaming numbers coupled with the results of the [Paramount Network] sampling effort, and social response from our audience, show the tremendous promise for this series. We look forward to continuing on this epic journey with our subscribers.”
Added Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of ViacomCBS Media Networks: “The success of Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 is another proof point of our unique model to leverage our linear platforms, and franchise our biggest hits to supercharge Paramount+. We went big with 1883… and it delivered big and shattered all records — as both the No. 1 most-watched original series premiere ever on Paramount+, and the biggest new cable premiere since 2015, with nearly five million viewers tuning into Paramount Network’s Sunday airing. Given the tremendous viewership on Paramount Network, I’m confident our strategy of sampling on the Paramount Network will drive awareness and viewers to Paramount+.”
“Getting this show out to audiences in 2021 was an epic undertaking,” said David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios. “We were presented with an almost impossible set of circumstances, but we achieved our goal in record-breaking fashion. That success is due to the dedication of the unbelievably gifted cast and crew, ViacomCBS, and the passionate vision and leadership of Taylor Sheridan. 101 Studios could not be more proud to have worked alongside Taylor to shepherd 1883 into the world.”
And they’ll do it all again this Sunday, Dec. 26, when Episode 102 of 1883 — titled “Behind Us, A Cliff,” and already available for streaming on Paramount+ — airs at 9 pm ET on Paramount Network after Yellowstone. In weeks to come, however, the series will be available only on the streaming service, much like Taylor Sheridan’s The Mayor of Kingstown.
Starring C&I reader favorite Sam Elliott, Grammy Award winners Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissmann, Eric Nelsen and James Landry Hébert, 1883 follows ancestors of Yellowstone rancher John Dutton (Kevin Costner) as they travel cross-country to the American promised land of Montana.
